Review: ‘Black Panther’ Album (2018)

Kendrick Lamar has been one of the most well received artists in the last decade, and for good reason. His inclusion on the black panther soundtrack not only welcomes quality, but it ushers in what can hopefully be a new era of film soundtracks that are actually good. Clocking in at a brisk 49 minutes, the album mixes tones and genres to create a body of work that exemplifies cohesion. Kendrick’s fingerprints are all over this thing, and his credit is only listed on 5 songs yet he has vocals on nearly every song.

Listed as “the music of and inspired by black panther” the album never focuses on the subject matter of Black Panther at great length or specifically elements of the film and it’s story; things that often bring down soundtracks and make them one note. Having an album that is first about the music and second about how it references a movie is one hundred and ten percent how it should be done, and it’s done with immaculate taste.

Touching on the albums composition, it’s made up of varying sonic vignettes that work surprisingly well together, but sometimes hit lulls. Starting off and ending strong ironically like most superhero movies, it hits a subdued middle section that is quite forgettable and often boring. Nonetheless the album is a solid showcase of all the artists at work, bringing out the best of their musical prowess (*cough* SOB X RBE *cough cough*)

Frankly, a movie soundtrack has no business being this good and it’s better than anticipated. Hopefully Kendrick starts executive producing more work in the near future, this is the best thing out this month